It’s the Holiday Season in the good ‘ole US of A! The official start is tomorrow: Thanksgiving. I’m excited! I LOVE this time of year. Lots of socializing with friends, yummy food and exchanging of thoughtful gifts of appreciation.

Two of my friends and I start the season off every Thanksgiving morning with a ‘Walk of Gratitude’. We make our regular two-mile walk along the beach tossing out things we are grateful for the entire 45 minutes. It’s a great way to start the day and the season.

So, in keeping with the theme of gratitude, I would like to offer you an easy way to simplify your holiday shopping, as a way to express my gratitude and appreciation to you.

Order these beautiful gift cards for your friends and family at the tremendously low price of $30 for a 30-minute hand or foot reflexology session!

Give REFLEXOLOGY!
* the gift of health and relaxation
* the gift that keeps on giving
* the gift that fits perfectly into the new practice of giving ‘experiences’ rather
than ‘stuff’
* the gift they’ll be talking about for quite some time

I don’t usually give 30-minute sessions nor offer my work at such a considerable loss but decided to offer them for the low price of $30 because I realize that not everyone’s budget can include multiple gift cards for the regular $85 70-minute session.

Let me know how many gift cards you would like, and we’ll make arrangements for you or your recipients to receive.

LET THE HOLIDAYS BEGIN!

PS. Want to eliminate the stress of holiday shopping AND look like an angel to the people in your life? Buy a reflexology gift card for EVERYONE on your gift-buying list who lives in the Saint Augustine area! And your shopping is DONE!

Whether you call it a muscle spasm, a charley horse or a muscle cramp – it hurts! A muscle spasm can wake you in the middle of the night, interrupt a tennis game, reward you after a long run, or surprise you in the middle of a foot reflexology session.

There are a number of situations that are generally referred to as a cramp:

* Tic or twitch – not usually painful

* Tremor – a quivering that usually precedes a full-on cramp

* Spasm – what most people refer to as a cramp – an involuntary state of contracture in a muscle; ie. a muscle that will not voluntarily or willfully relax.

Muscles spasm when the normal balance of electrolytes in the muscle cells is disturbed for a longer period of time than the muscle can withstand.

Causes

There are a number of things that can contribute to an imbalance of these electrolytes:

* Dehydration from inadequate fluid intake or excessive sweating.

* Muscle fatigue from a prolonged position or vigorous exercise, especially when stretching before and or stretching/adequate cool down afterwards do not occur.

* Lack of minerals including sodium and magnesium; potassium and/or calcium deficiency being the most common.

* Decreased oxygen delivery to muscle tissue due to poor circulation in the legs.

* Drug effects. Diuretics, statins and many other medications can cause muscle spasming.

* Spinal cord injury.

Muscle Spasms and Reflexology

So why does a cramp occur when someone is receiving reflexology?

Muscles that have been overly taut for a period of time, such as those of the lower leg or sole of the foot, relax during a reflexology session. That sets up a disruption of the electrolyte balance, causing the muscle to cramp.

If this happens when you are giving a session, don’t panic. The solution is as simple as switching an on/off button. Two actions – reciprocal inhibition and digital pressure will change the neural signal to a muscle, allowing it to relax again.

To relax any muscle in the body, you actively engage the antagonistic (opposing) muscle, which will increase circulation to the affected muscle and allow it to lengthen and relax. This is known as reciprocal inhibition.

If someone on my table cramps in the bottom of the foot or in the calves, I immediately place the palm of my hand on the dorsal side of their foot and ask them to strongly pull their foot towards their face (dorsi-flex). At the same time my hand resists their motion, attempting to pull their foot towards my face (plantar-flex). This combined action engages the foot extensor muscles and relaxes the flexor and intrinsic foot muscles. The hold is held for a couple of seconds and then both the client and I relax our efforts. We immediately do it again, and continue to repeat the sequence of engagement and relaxation until the cramping stops. Applying massage to the muscle bellies and pressure in the muscle spasm will also help.

Preventing Cramps

Adequate hydration, regular foot reflexology, massage of the muscles prone to cramping, a diet high in potassium and calcium, and daily stretching can prevent the re-occurrence of muscle cramps.

Drink before you’re thirsty. Restoring an adequate level of hydration in your body will take a few days. It’s kind of like pouring water on a super dry plant and expecting the soil to retain the moisture; the water just pours out the bottom. It will take a few days for the minerals to recirculate and invest your tissues. Evian water is a good water to drink for a few days if you are dehydrated. It contains a higher salt content than regular drinking water.

I don’t recommend relying on Gatorade as a general source of hydration. It’s great for an acute situation – think triage – perhaps after a strenuous exercise activity. It’s too high in sugars and chemicals to be good for you as a regular habit.

Do any of you have other strategies for dealing with foot and leg cramps?

Christine Issel is synonymous with reflexology. With over 40 years in the industry, she can rightfully claim co-creation of the Reflexology Association of America, the American Reflexology Certification Board and the International Council of Reflexologists. She is a much sought-after consultant, lecturer, editor, legislative lobbyist and the author of three popular books: Reflexology: Art, Science and History; Eunice Ingham: A Biography; and Reflexognosy: A Shift in Paradigm (with Sandi Rogers). I am thrilled that Christine agreed to write a guest blog, the request for which was stimulated by my reading of her ground-breaking book on Reflexognosy. Feel free to post comments below this article or contact Christine through her website.

For reflexologists, the questions often arise: Is working slowly more advantageous than working fast? Is it more beneficial to use light to moderate pressure than heavy pressure so that the client can more easily and quickly reach a relaxation response? Is there research supporting answers to these questions?

Here I will attempt to explain some known facts about energy and share some research findings that may shed light on these questions.

Energy Systems

Energy not only surrounds us, it interpenetrates the cells of our body.

The organs of our body are composed of tissues made up of cells, which are in turn made up of molecules and atoms, which are all whirling, pulsating, vibrating fields of energy. All matter vibrates and has a frequency. Within the body are different energy frequencies and systems.

According to the Tiller-Einstein model, the first level of energy moving faster than light is the etheric frequency of matter and energy. On the gross or physical level of the body (i.e., the physical level comprising the densest level of energy) there are biochemical and bioelectrical networks at play. At this level, matter and energy are primarily electrical in nature.

In addition, there are higher invisible energies – a life force – responsible for life and creative expression beyond ordinary human perception. The energy/matter beyond the speed of light is electromagnetic in nature. This electromagnetic network involves the work of the finer subtle energy systems of acupuncture meridians and the chakra-nadis.

The Electro-Magnetic Current

Dr. Robert Becker, (1985) a respected orthopedic surgeon and author of The Body Electric and Cross Currents suggests there is proof the body is an electrical unit operating within an electrical web and an electrical energetic field surrounding the body.

Becker found that the points along the acupuncture meridians enhance the electromagnetic current flowing in the body. It was detected that the meridians had the electrical characteristics of transmission lines, while skin not associated with meridians did not.

Dr. Becker further documented the existence of an underlying electromagnetic life force within the body that stimulates it to grow and heal. His studies show that an injury causes the brain to send low-level electrical signals to the wound that stimulate repair. As the repair process continues this signal diminishes in intensity. The slower stimulating signal in turn slows the repair activity and when the wound heals the signal stops.

Becker found that if the level of current is in a very low range, regeneration occurs. If it is much higher, cell degeneration results. This may explain the healing properties of relaxation, biofeedback and meditation; all of which calm and slow the body down.

Brain Waves

Electrical activity emanating from the brain is displayed in the form of brainwaves.

There are five categories of these brainwaves, ranging from the most activity to the least. At 40 Hz, Gamma waves are important for information processing and learning. In the Beta state, we are the most alert (our day consciousness). This frequency of human brain activity is between 12.5 and 30 Hz. In the Alpha state, with an electrical frequency between 8 and 13 Hz, we are relaxed but alert. The Theta state is one of drowsiness. It is the conscious state just before sleeping and just after waking and the state reached in meditation and is measured between 4 and 7 pulses per second. Delta brain waves are the slowest between 0.1 and 4 cycles per second. When asleep and dreaming, we have reached the Delta state.

These last two stages of brain activity are necessary for the healing and regeneration process to occur.

Reflexology and Brain Waves

In human electroencephalogram (EEG) studies, reflexology was found to create a relaxation response or put the body in a theta state, a state in which it may begin the rejuvenation process and work to the best of its ability to heal itself.

This was confirmed in EEG studies conducted by Dr. Jesus Manzanares, who compared the changes in wave amplitudes with patients receiving reflexology. The EEG presented waves that changed from alpha to theta and delta with the application of reflexology techniques.

Pressure

Sir Charles Sherrington (1861-1952) proved that the whole nervous system adjusts to a stimulus, earning him a Nobel Prize in 1932. He shared the prize with Dr. Edgar Adrian for their work on the physiology of the nervous system.

Adrian also made a discovery all reflexologists should be aware of.

Not long after World War I, he showed that the electrical intensity of the nerve impulse depended on the size of the nerve rather than upon the strength of the stimulus. His discovery suggests heavy pressure is not needed in our work—moderate to light pressure could be just as effective.

The Answers

The above may explain why some reflexologists find that slower movements and moderate to light pressure contribute to a stronger therapy that gives them access to the inner depths of the client both physically and emotionally.

However, it is this author’s contention that all reflexologists have their own innate rate of working just as they have their own unique touch. Each of us must answer the questions posed at the beginning of this article for ourselves, or through training modify our technique for maximum effectiveness.

The stress response starts in the brain. When the brain detects a threat – whether real or imagined – the hypothalamus, amygdala and pituitary glands go on alert. They exchange information and then send signaling hormones and nerve impulses to the rest of the body to prepare to respond to this thread. This is often referred to as the flight or fight response. It’s a natural and necessary survival response of the involuntary sympathetic nervous system.

The problem is, the brain cannot distinguish between a “real” threat (someone chasing us with a machine gun!) and a thought that we create or perception we may have about a situation in our lives (“I just know I’m going to fail that test!”)

The body then unleashes a flood of hormones. The adrenal glands react to the alert by releasing adrenaline; adrenaline causes the heart to pump faster and the lungs to work harder so as to deliver more oxygen to the brain and body. The adrenal glands also release extra cortisol and other glucocorticoids, which help the body convert sugars into the extra energy needed to respond to the threat. Nerve cells release norepinephrine, which tenses muscles and sharpens the senses to prepare for action. The eyes dilate, hearing becomes more acute, even the sense of taste and smell increase; all to take in more information regarding this impending and/or perceived threat. Functions considered unnecessary for immediate survival, such as digestion, fighting infections and even feeding an incubating fetus, are all put on hold in order to rally forces to deal with the situation at hand.

When the threat passes, epinephrine and norepinephrine levels drop. If the occurrence of (real or perceived) danger presents too often, continued high levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine damage the arteries, which can lead to a host of health problems. Chronic low-level stress – a condition that many North Americans live in – keeps the glucocorticoids in circulation, leading to a weakened immune system, loss of bone mass, suppression of the reproductive system and problems with memory retention. The statement that stress kills is not too far off.

There’s nothing wrong with this fight-or-flight response; in fact we are hard-wired to have it jump into action when needed. But annoyance with the subway or traffic is not the place. If you want to undo or reduce the effects of perceived and/or thought-induced stress, call on the parasympathetic state to induce the rest and repair state. Stay calm. Relax. Your life depends on it.

Relaxation is the basis of health. There are many ways in which to teach your nervous system to respond to unwanted situations with calm. Reflexology, of course, is one. It naturally shifts the autonomic nervous system from the sympathetic (flight or fight) to the parasympathetic state (rest and repair). The experience of receiving reflexology allows you to feel yourself in a relaxed state; without that experience, it is impossible to induce it yourself at will.

What do you do on a regular basis to teach your brain and body to function from a basis of relaxation?

The human body is an amazing work of art; perhaps no more evident then in its split-second ability to initiate chemical changes that prepare us to defend against, or avoid, imminent danger. This healthy “fight-or-flight” adaptation of the sympathetic nervous system originates in a part of the brain known as the amygdala, and results in the launch of cascading hormones throughout the entire body, that make it possible for us to perform instinctual, sometimes Herculean, responses to the situation.

With post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) though, this natural reaction has been changed or damaged. People living with PTSD may feel frightened even when danger is not evident.

PTSD can develop following a terrifying experience involving physical, emotional and/or mental harm. The individual with PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, or may have witnessed a harmful event endured by loved ones or even strangers. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, insomnia, anger, depression, substance abuse, self-isolation and/or uncontrollable thoughts of the event. At its worse, PTSD makes it literally impossible to function in the world.

Although many people equate PTSD only in relation to war veterans, it can be triggered from a variety of trauma-inducing ordeals, such as mugging, rape, torture, being kidnapped or held captive, child abuse, car accidents, train wrecks, plane crashes, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.

A fair amount of research has been conducted on the emotional and mental effects of reflexology on those suffering from PTSD. In this study conducted by Academy grad Darlene Torroll, the goal was to investigate whether reflexology could help restore functioning in areas of physical complaint.

A year ago, I created an in-depth, experiential teacher-training program in reflexology with two of my exceptional grads, Shea Knight and Jenny Runde. I created the program for two reasons: first because I was forced to admit that there is a limit to how much I can do on my own (and stay sane!), and secondly, I recognized that many people, for various reasons, cannot travel to study. Expanding the roster of teachers and our ability to travel seemed the obvious solution to wanting to accommodate the growing number of requests that come in for qualified training in reflexology.

We’re currently working on our 2014 teaching schedules, so if you are interested in learning reflexology… well then, invite us over!

As the host, you will be our “point” person; you will be responsible for organizing the logistics (with our guidance) and in return will be compensated for your time and efforts.

This last week I gave sessions to two people who have been absent from my table for a few months now. My heart melted listening to their comments afterwards:

“I forgot how much I love foot reflexology!”

“That was the deepest experience of myself I have every had!”

“I needed that so much!”

“That was unbelievable!”

That got me thinking of my own experiences receiving reflexology and the numerous benefits that I, and others, get from this profound modality.

In an article that I wrote for Massage Magazine I outlined the three main reasons people seek out reflexology. I realize that for many others though, their love for reflexology is motivated more from their experience of being in that altered state that the alpha and theta brainwave patterns deliver. Here’s what I’ve been privileged to witness:

1. Reflexology is grounding for people who see themselves as “spacey, ethereal, in the clouds”. These are generally people who fall under a predominant Air or Ether quality, whose minds float around amongst many ideas, and struggle with the more mundane tasks of daily living. After reflexology, they report feeling more grounded – literally – and more able to effortlessly take care of business, without sacrificing their desired state of being. They report feeling more connected to the earth.

2. By letting go of conscious thought, the subconscious mind can more readily offer up solutions to dilemmas or problems people are wrestling with. I take advantage of this aspect of reflexology a lot. When I am trying to reach some sort of decision on something, I will quietly pose the question just as I am about to slip into that delightful parasympathetic state. I am always rewarded with a clear awareness some time during the session that perfectly directs me to the needed action or decision. Some times the answers lie in another part of our being other than the thinking brain, and reflexology really delivers here.

3. Receiving a reflexology session provides a rich resource for images and symbolic meanings for many creative souls. You can read of such comments from one artist here. My home has been blessed by a number of gorgeous works of art that resulted from this particular woman’s sessions.

4. Reflexology provides an alternate, gentle approach to healing for people undergoing mental/emotional therapy. Especially when received congruently with talk therapy, reflexology allows individuals to feel themselves as healthy, happy and at peace, without having to actually understand anything about the mechanism by which they achieved that desired state. I still recall a client from years ago telling me that his reflexology sessions were as valuable, if not more so, than his talk therapy, because he did not have to explain anything about what was going on for him; he could just be. What a gift!

5. People in recovery from substance abuse use reflexology to both assist in detoxification and to calm a nervous system reeling from withdrawal. The ability to relax as deeply as reflexology provides, and to enjoy the prolonged benefits for hours and sometimes days afterwards, is invaluable for people under this level of stress. One of the grads of the Therapeutic Hand & Foot Reflexology Professional Certification has focused much of his attention to this population. An amazing way to support the difficulty of breaking addictions.

6. Some people like reflexology because they find that their dreams over the next few nights are more vivid than usual. Dream interpretation is a highly recognized way in which to understand the language of the subconscious brain. In dream analysis, symbols, rather than words, explain lingering physical symptoms, anxieties, mental conflicts, etc. to the dreamer open to what is being shared.

So, you see, there are lots of very good reasons to learn how to gift the people in your life with reflexology. There are three opportunities to learn foot reflexology over the next two months. Register now to guarantee a spot.

June 29 & 30, 2013 – Orlando, Florida

July 13 & 14, 2013 – Tallahassee, Florida

August 17 & 18, 2013 – Orlando Florida

And before you leave this page, please share why you receive reflexology. Maybe we’ll grow the list!

Recently, I was asked by the national publication Massage Magazine to write a spotlight on reflexology for massage students. In it, I explain the difference between massage and reflexology, why the public seeks out reflexology, levels of training, employment opportunities and continuing education options. As I was writing the article, I thought the information might also be useful for existing therapists trying to figure out in what direction to focus your practice; how you can stand out in the crowd. What do you think?

A quote in the article that I wrote about in Reflexology and Osteopathy? brought a smile to my face. Credited to Dr. Fred Mitchell, DO, in a forward he wrote to one of the seminal books written on osteopathy, Mitchell states, “Bizarre combinations of reflexes may be impossible to explain with our present knowledge. Treat what you find…not what you are looking for!” [i]

I couldn’t agree more. I repeatedly instruct reflexology students to find reflexes to work with their hands, not their memory of the location of reflexes. Treat what you find, rather than set out on a “search and destroy” mission for some reflex associated with your client’s health complaint. Instead, meet your client in the tissue, practice stillness and awareness together, and then watch the real magic occur!

Imagine relaxing with your partner, parent, child or best friend and being able to easily and confidently offer that special person a soothing and relaxing hand or foot reflexology session. Better still, being able to treat yourself to the benefits of reflexology!

Well, my exercise teacher and some of the women in my class imagined exactly that a few months ago and took action. At their request, I spent four hours instructing them in basic reflexology. None were professionals; yet all left with skills that they could immediately use to help themselves and their loved ones.

I have been asked by others in the group to repeat the class, and have decided to open it up to the general public this time. If you are a “lay” person (or a massage therapist curious about reflexology), this is your chance to learn how this amazing discipline works and how to apply some simple techniques yourself. Join us on January 21st. I will explain the basic theories, show you how our organs and glands are represented through the reflexes on the feet and hands, and guide you on how to effectively support your body’s systems through the reflexes.